Yep, this game is the deepest strategy game I've seen and does play according to the dynamics of the time (1500 - 1800). The manual promised a Himalayan learning curve, but the internal logic of the game is quite easy to follow. The game-interface make it hard to play, screens overlap, there is no overview from which to manage your empire and crucial treaties cannot be made unless strange criteria are met.

Game Description
Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy. This soon-to-be classic PC Strategy title will be characterized by immense depth and historical content that charge its challenging gameplay with incredible replayability value.

Key features:

Players can enjoy over 300 years of gameplay by starting at ANY date between 1453 and 1789.

Nation building is flexible: decide your own form of government, the structure of your society, trade politics and much more. The possibilities are endless.

The great people and personalities of the past are on hand to support you. Take history in your hands and call personalities like Sir Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or René Descartes to your court.

A lush topographic map in full 3D allows for a rich and complete world view, and contains more than 1700 provinces and sea zones.

Lead any one of more than 250 countries that originally existed during the game's extensive time span.

Have more than a thousand historical leaders and over 4000 historical Monarchs at your disposal.

Manage more than 100 individual unit troops to secure as much power as possible.

Co-operative multiplayer mode allows several players to work together to control a single nation.